The present invention relates to titanium alloys and more particularly to a novel and unique titanium alloy that exhibits high strength and fracture toughness for use in aircraft flight data recorders.
Although there are numerous situations in which it is necessary or desirable to protect a device form deleterious exposure to a crash environment, shielding the memory device of an aircraft flight recorder system during crash presents extremely demanding design constraints. In this regard, in order to preserve flight data supplied to the memory unit of a flight data recorder during a predetermined time interval immediately prior to an aircraft crash, the memory unit must be constructed to endure crushing and penetration forces experienced either as the aircraft impacts the ground or as a result of secondary impacts with other portions or pieces of the aircraft. Furthermore, the memory unit of a flight data recorder system is subject to additional design constraints imposed by considerations generally applicable to aircraft equipment and systems, including constraints relating to size, weight, cost, serviceability and reliability.
Prior flight data recorders have been encased in stainless steel housings that are capable of withstanding very high crushing and penetration forces. Stainless steel, however, is relatively heavy when compared to other lightweight metals. Heretofore, other lightweight materials such as titanium alloys used on flight data recorders have not achieved desired weight reduction because they lacked the required blend of strength, ductility, and fracture toughness to resist penetration during a crash.